Is your vagina healthy?

When you think about it, vaginas are pretty damn cool. They clean themselves, they can expand to fit a baby’s head through them, and they’re super strong: the vagina weightlifting record is apparently over 30 pounds! Given they’re such cool parts of our bodies, here are a few ways to read the signals they’re trying to give off and how to keep them in top condition.

Clear or white fluid with no strong odour

No problem! This is totally normal and all part of the way your vagina keeps itself clean and lubricated. The discharge comes from glands near the vaginal opening and cervix, and also contains some mucus from the vaginal wall. The amount and texture of fluid varies with your monthly cycle. Think raw egg white is gross? That’s what your discharge should look like when you’re ovulating.

Watery or thick, white discharge with intense itchiness

This could mean you have thrush. It’s really common – about three in every four women get it at some point in their lives. It’s caused by an overgrowth of microscopic yeast (made up of several types of fungi – but not the sort you’d want at a party). It isn’t sexually transmitted, and can be cleared up with antifungal medicine from your pharmacist.

White or grey fishy-smelling discharge

This could be a harmless infection called bacterial vaginosis, or BV. It’s an imbalance in the normal bacteria in your vagina. It’s also very common and not sexually transmitted. With antibiotics from your doctor, it’ll be packing its bags and on the road again to bother someone else.

Green, yellow or frothy discharge

Think your vagina’s been smelling a bit fishy lately? If it’s also sore, itchy or swollen, and hurts when you pee, it could be a common sexually transmitted infection (STI), trichomoniasis. It’s caused by a tiny parasite that you can get rid of with antibiotics; just ask your doctor.

Abnormal discharge with bleeding

See your doctor as soon as possible if you have pain in your pelvis or when you pee, or bleeding between periods or after sex. These could be symptoms of chlamydia or gonorrhoea. Gonorrhoea can also turn your discharge green – alien style! Both STIs can be easily treated with antibiotics, but left alone they can cause serious problems.

Blisters and abnormal discharge

Painful sores around the vagina can be a sign of genital herpes, caused by a sexually-transmitted virus. See your doctor as soon as possible. You may be given antiviral medicine to control the symptoms, but many people find they return later.

Keeping your vagina healthy

* Your general health is linked to the health of your vagina. Eat your greens and get jogging to do what’s best for the little lady down below.

* Healthy vaginas are pretty good at washing themselves, so you don’t need to wash them inside and you definitely don’t need to douche – that could lead to more problems than it’s worth, putting you at risk from nasties like thrush and BV (see above). There are intimate soaps designed just for your bits, so go for one of these and save that new mango body wash for your pits.

* Cotton underwear is the kindest thing for your vagina – it’s breathable and absorbs moisture better than other materials.

* Wipe from front to back to avoid infections, and pee after sex to get rid of any bacteria that’s made its way up there.

If you don’t like stained panties at the end of the day, there’s a wide range of discreet and thin liners that will catch the drops. Check out our site to find out what is what.